1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to electronic oscillators.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Electronic oscillators can be used in a variety of applications, including, for example, telecommunications systems, optical networks, radar systems, and/or chip-to-chip communication. In one example, an oscillator can be used in a frequency synthesizer to generate an output clock signal having a controlled phase and frequency relationship to a reference clock signal. In other examples, an oscillator can be used for clock and data recovery, for modulation or demodulation, and/or in a phase-locked loop (PLL).
An oscillator's noise and power consumption are two important performance considerations. For example, certain devices such as transceivers can have relatively stringent noise specifications that can be difficult to meet due to oscillator noise. One type of noise in an oscillator is phase noise, or a frequency domain representation of short-term fluctuations in a phase of a waveform caused by time domain instabilities. Power consumption of an oscillator can also be important. For example, when the oscillator is included in a mobile device, the oscillator's power consumption can impact the device's battery life.